The “storms” in PASOK continue with one by one the party executives expressing their opinions on whether there should be a change of leadership and when is the right time.

After the stormy meeting of the Political Council and the parliamentary group, where Nikos Androulakis came under fire from executives after the heartbreaking results in the European elections, all eyes are now on Harilaou Trikoupi’s next moves, with most executives however agreeing that a change in leadership is needed club.

Apostolaki: “The result of the elections does not satisfy us”

Speaking on Friday morning on SKAI and on the show “Mismatches”, the MP of PASOK, Milena Apostolaki, argued that after the result of the elections, which does not satisfy anyone, initiatives should be taken in the party.

“The result does not satisfy us. Because the political, social and historical conditions existed for the great return of PASOK. This has to do with the government, it has to do with the party which is still in the position of official opposition and which in my opinion cannot be a reliable governmental solution for the country. After yesterday’s meeting, questions for the future of the faction were urgently raised by an overwhelming majority, based on this climate it is obvious that there must be initiatives” said Mrs. Apostolaki when asked if there will be a question of leadership in the party.

“The world says we can’t stand it anymore and we have to respect this world” he said and added that the faction endured the “Tzochatzopoulos”, Mrs. “Kaili” and many others and overcame them with strength, courage and dignity”.

At the same time, he pointed out that “in both victories and defeats, the first credit goes to the leader. But on the other hand, the problem is not one-sided and one-product when we refer to a political formation that in the past has repeatedly succeeded in putting the citizens in a collective process. The party has achieved it in the past and it can achieve it now too” said Mrs. Apostolaki.

He concluded that PASOK has a very heavy legacy and that from its foundation until its most difficult moments, it handled the issues in a unifying and not divisive manner.

Geroulanos: We need to change the leadership team

The need to change the leadership team of PASOK “to convince that what we say we can put into practice” was pointed out on Friday by Pavlos Geroulanos speaking to ERT, adding that the internal party elections should be held earlier in the autumn .

Regarding the possibility of him being a candidate, he contented himself with answering with the phrase “I will open the discussion of the candidacy and for all the names it includes only when it is officially opened by the party”.

Speaking about the result of the European elections in June, he noted that “things are simple. We had set second place as a strategic goal and I believe it was possible because we are seeing a collapse of the two parties. I will compare you with the previous European elections. The two major parties lost 1.5 million voters. From that we collected only 60,000, i.e. only 4%. In other words, of the people who said that neither of the two major parties satisfied me, only 4% trusted PASOK.”

Regarding PASOK’s course from now on, he said that “the issue of the leader has been raised and we will see on June 30 whether the president will respond to the messages he received at the Political Council. Beyond that, the changes we need to make within PASOK concern the leadership team” adding that the party needs to change its communication using social media.

Konstantinopoulos: We will not make PASOK the Internal KKE

On the same wavelength Odysseas Konstantinopoulos is also asking for a change of leadership in PASOK.

“I did not ask anyone to resign, but I say directly that the current leadership of PASOK could not win over Kasselakis and a leadership that can win over Mitsotakis must be found,” Mr. Konstantinopoulos characteristically said on Friday morning speaking on Parapolitika FM.

“We have to choose in PASOK if we will be a party of low expectations, we will lower the bar or we will speak clearly and we will not reach the level of losing to Kasselakis. This is an issue that must be decided by the grassroots,” he added.

At the same time, neither Mr. Konstantinopoulos believes that the elections should be held in July. “Whoever wants to go in July, the president can decide on that, no one will “kill” him for that, he will just “kill” the party. In July, no more than 40-50,000 people will come. The procedure for the change of leadership must be done within 2024. If it is in the procedures to go 50,000 let him do it among his friends and his team” he emphasized.

He also expressed his disagreement with the threats of expulsion that Nikos Androulakis has unleashed, saying characteristically that “PASOK cannot become the KKE no matter how much some people try, it cannot be done and it cannot even enter into logic because the leadership group says that there is introversion and we will go to 5%”.

Asked about when he thinks the date of the internal party elections will be set, and especially about the scenario that he wants them to take place in July, he answered that “whoever wants to go in July, the president can decide on that, no one will “kill” him for this will just “kill” the party. In July, no more than 40-50,000 people will come. The process for the change of leadership must be done within 2024. If it is in the process to go to 50,000, let him do it among his friends and his team.”

Kastanidis: PASOK elections as soon as possible

The member of the Political Council of the party Haris Kastanidis asked for elections as soon as possible, speaking to ERT.

“I don’t know all the nominations. One can speculate, but speculation does not lead to a conclusion. Therefore, a responsible attitude would be first, to see if the procedures for electing a new leader will be initiated before the scheduled time, that is, before the end of 2025. And the second is that if the procedures for electing a leader are indeed initiated, to see the set of candidates so that he can choose. Therefore, I would not be able to tell you anything at an early time.”

When asked if he believes that there is a possibility of extending this process for 2025 and if PASOK will endure, Mr. Kastanidis stated that an internal electoral contest should “take place as soon as possible” saying himself that “from the autumn somewhere near there and then”.

At the same time, Mr. Kastanidis expressed the opinion that “we must think that the country needs the unification through a specific process of the forces of the progressive space, in order to go to a large faction that will contest the elections”.

Regarding the candidate names, he said that “we will find them later in an open, free election process.

Giannakopoulou: Androulaki’s rhetoric that he can delete all dissenters is disappointing

For her part, Nadia Giannakopoulou described Androulaki’s rhetoric “by blaming others and not doing his own self-criticism” for PASOK’s result in the European elections as disappointing.

Mrs. Giannakopoulou also expressed her disagreement with the PASOK election scenario in July, telling Action24 “with the logic of July, we could also go to the 15th of August and then cast the vote after the candle. I would say the best of all would be to do it in the fall. There should be a process in which the candidates will not just walk the catwalk.”

He also clarified that “I have proven throughout the years in PASOK that I was and will be PASOK at the forefront both in the easy and the difficult. Whoever the president is, we all have to stand by him” adding “from where and how the diversity of opinions undermines the unity of PASOK. Do they want us to be herd or employees?’

According to her, “many times our speech resembled that of SYRIZA and I could not see that PASOK was functioning as we had been used to for so many years. The serious alternative cannot be another SYRIZA”.

Skandalidis: PASOK must take a leap forward

For his part, the executive of Charilaou Trikoupi Kostas Skandalidis, speaking on Friday morning on MEGA, said that he does not rank with those who raise war flags in PASOK and points out that there is no question of Mr. Androulakis leaving.

“PASOK achieved a fiery victory, it failed to bring the progressive world of abstention to the ballot box. We are going at a pace that does not suit the faction to question the regime of Mr. Mitsotakis. PASOK needs a restart. It’s a matter of time I would say. Restart to get hundreds of thousands down and they’ll commit to how they’re going to get into the political game for us,” he said, adding: “It’s important that the restart happens faster.”

According to him, “with Gennimata the party left obscurity and with Androulakis it rose to the center of the political scene. Now he has to take a leap forward,” he emphasized.

Kostas Skandalidis added that “something must be done to make the jump. Androulakis leaving is out of the question. I am not politically opposed to Androulakis, I expressed my views on the restart of PASOK. To gather the core of the faction again” he concluded.